Wire-tightener.



A. P. JOHNSON.

WIRE TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3,1912. RENEWED AUG. 23. 1915.

1,157,110. Patented, 001.19, 1915.

ANDREW P. JOHNSON, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

WIBE-TIGHTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application filed August 8, 1912, Serial No. 714,070. Renewed August 23, 1 915. Serial No. 46,943.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW P. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vire- Tighteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In taking up the slack of line wires where they are used for telegraph purposes and for telephones, it is frequently desirable to do so without interrupting service over the line and this usually requires the use of a temporary by-pass known as abridge or jumper.

In taking up this slack the lineman is usually on a pole or in other position where it is diflicult for him to put the necessary strain upon the wire without assistance and to hold it while securing it.

This invention relates to a tightener for line wires that may be applied readily by a lineman and be operated by him without much effort, and which when so applied bridges electrically the interval between the places where the wire is gripped and thereby obviates the necessity of a jumper or like means.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section of a tightener that embodies features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a view showing an application of the invention.

As herein shown in preferred form, a central plate 1 is provided with a stud 2 on which a beveled gear 3 is rotatable by means of a handle 4 the latter preferably being extensible. A pair of beveled pinions 5 in bearing recesses of the plate are interiorly screwthreaded to engage the similarly screwthreaded portions 6 of draw rods 7. The latter are longitudinally reciprocable in parallel relation through suitable guide openings 8 extending through the plate 1. Their extremities are preferably formed into hooks 9 or otherwise fashioned for detachably engaging the wire grips 10 known to the trade as come-alongs whereby a strain may be put upon the wire without bending or offsetting it. 7

Preferably end thrust of the pinions 5 Copies of this against the plate when under strain is minimized by appropriately designed anti-friction means, as for example, ball bearings 10 between the pinions and the walls of the openings in which they lie.

As a result of this construction, a lineman may apply the clamps to the line and draw them together by turning the gear handle imposingany strain that he desires without any great amount of effort on his part, Asthe connectionsare wholly metallic the line is not broken electrically and does not require the application of a bridge, jumper or by-pass even though the portion between the clamps is temporarily severed. The wire grips may, of course be replaced by any means'f'or holding a line wire.

Obviously, changes in the details of con-" struction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

What I claim is A wire stretcher comprising an oblong plate having longitudinal parallel slots and the ends thereof atopposite sides provided with oflfsetportions and transverse slots, the first mentioned slots providing a spider and all of said slots cooperating in providing a series of walls and said walls having alining openings formed therein, the openings in the end walls enlarged, end thrust collars adjustably mounted in the enlarged openings, threaded draw rods extending through said collars and said slots and enlarged openings, interiorly screwthreaded beveled pinions carried by said draw rods within said transverse slots, anti-frictional bearings interposed between the sides of said and the walls of said pinions, said collars, transverse slots, a beveled gear wheel rotatively supported by the spider of said plate and having teeth meshing with the teeth of said pinions, and an extensible ofi-set handle carried by said gear wheel to facilitate imparting movement to said wheel and longitudinal movement to said draw rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I

in presence of'two witnesses.

ANDREW P. JOHNSON Witnesses: I

C. R. STIOKNEY G. E. MCGRANN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

